The Winter Television Critics Assn. Press Tour kicked off Wednesday at the Langham Huntington Hotel in Pasadena with a very cool blast from the past: Betty White and Ed Asner together again!
Well, not exactly.
The two comics, who worked together in the 1970s on "Mary Tyler Moore," appeared on two consecutive MTV Networks panels, but their affection was evident. Besides her dozens (or is it thousands?) of TV appearances in 2010, White is starring on TV Land's hit, "Hot in Cleveland," which is premiering its second season on Jan. 19. Asner is part of the new CMT sitcom "Working Class," about a scrappy single mom (Melissa Peterman) who moves her children to an upscale suburb. Asner plays her cranky neighbor, Hank.
Much of the "Hot in Cleveland" session was spent addressing how much everyone loves Betty White. We know that you, too, love Betty White, and Betty White loves that you love Betty White. But Betty White is feeling a bit bashful about all the attention. So keep on loving her, but maybe don't tell her so much? She's about to turn 89, and you should listen to your elders.
Responding to a question about why she's so darn lovable, White replied: "Oh, my dear, have I got you fooled."
When a reporter asked cast members Valerie Bertinelli, Jane Leeves, and Wendie Malick, what it's like to work with the iconic actress, White piped up: "What is this Betty White business? This is so silly. You've had such an overdose of me lately. But trust me, I think I'm gonna go away for a while."
She elaborated on that when she was asked if she's feeling embarrassed by all of the attention.
"It's hard for me to say no to a job because you spend your career thinking if you say no, they'll never ask you again. But my mother taught me to say no when I was a girl," she said. "I'm trying to cut down. I really am, but when you love what you do so much and this lady [executive producer Suzanne Martin] gives us such fun things to do, it's a privilege."
